Method and apparatus for system diagnostics using accelerometers

ABSTRACT

A method of monitoring component health of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The method includes measuring, by an accelerometer associated with at least one component of the HVAC system, of vibration of the at least one component, receiving, by a controller, actual vibration data reflective of the measured vibration, determining, using the controller, whether the actual vibration data differs from pre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data by more than an acceptable amount, and responsive to a positive determination in the determining step, forwarding, by the controller, information regarding the determination to a monitoring device to monitor operation of the component.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/405,419, filed on Jan. 13, 2017. U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/405,419 is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) systems and, more particularly, but not by way oflimitation, to detecting component malfunction within HVAC systems bymonitoring vibration of various components of the HVAC system.

HISTORY OF RELATED ART

HVAC systems are used to regulate environmental conditions within anenclosed space. Typically, HVAC systems have a circulation fan thatpulls air from the enclosed space through ducts and pushes the air backinto the enclosed space through additional ducts after conditioning theair (e.g., heating, cooling, humidifying, or dehumidifying the air).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of monitoring component health of a heating, ventilation, andair conditioning (HVAC) system. The method includes measuring, by anaccelerometer associated with at least one component of the HVAC system,of vibration of the at least one component, receiving, by a controller,actual vibration data reflective of the measured vibration, determining,using the controller, whether the actual vibration data differs frompre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data by more than anacceptable amount, and responsive to a positive determination in thedetermining step, forwarding, by the controller, information regardingthe determination to a monitoring device to monitor operation of thecomponent.

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. They systemincludes an accelerometer associated with at least one component of theHVAC system, wherein the accelerometer is configured to measurevibration of the at least one component. The system further includes acontroller configured to communicate with the accelerometer. Thecontroller is configured to receive actual vibration data reflective ofthe measured vibration, determine whether the actual vibration datadiffers from pre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data by more thanan acceptable amount, and responsive to a positive determination,forward information regarding the determination to a monitoring deviceto monitor operation of the component.

A method of monitoring component health of a heating, ventilation, andair conditioning (HVAC) system. The method includes measuring, by anaccelerometer associated with at least one component of the HVAC system,of vibration of the at least one component, receiving, by a controller,actual vibration data reflective of the measured vibration, andcalculating, using the controller, pre-defined acceptable baselinevibration data. The method further includes determining, using thecontroller, whether the actual vibration data differs from thepre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data by more than anacceptable amount and responsive to a positive determination in thedetermining step, forwarding, by the controller, information regardingthe determination to a monitoring device to monitor operation of thecomponent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of embodiments of the present inventionmay be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an illustrative HVAC system;

FIG. 2A is a chart illustrating acceptable baseline-vibration data andactual vibration data for a variable-speed compressor of the HVAC systemaccording to an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 2B is a chart illustrating acceptable baseline-vibration data andactual vibration data for an indoor unit of the HVAC system according toan exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method to monitor HVAC systemcomponent health.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

To direct operations of the circulation fan and other components, eachHVAC system includes at least one controller. In addition to directingthe operation of the HVAC system, the at least one controller may alsobe used to monitor various components, also referred to as equipment, ofthe HVAC system to determine if the HVAC system components arefunctioning appropriately. Thus, the at least one controller can detectan occurrence of a service event, generate a service alarm, and send amessage to a user interface or a service provider. The service event maybe, for example, a trigger of a service indicator, an expiration of aservice event timer for a component of the HVAC system, componentmalfunction, and the like.

FIG. 1 illustrates an HVAC system 100. In a typical embodiment, the HVACsystem 100 is a networked HVAC system configured to condition air via,for example, heating, cooling, humidifying, or dehumidifying. The HVACsystem 100 can be a residential system or a commercial system such as,for example, a roof top system. For illustration, the HVAC system 100 asillustrated in FIG. 1 includes various components; however, in otherembodiments, the HVAC system 100 may include additional components thatare not illustrated but typically included within HVAC systems.

The HVAC system 100 includes a variable-speed circulation fan 102, a gasheat 104, electric heat 106 typically associated with the variable-speedcirculation fan 102, and a refrigerant evaporator coil 108, alsotypically associated with the variable-speed circulation fan 102. Thevariable-speed circulation fan 102, the gas heat 104, the electric heat106, and the refrigerant evaporator coil 108 are collectively referredto as an “indoor unit” 110. In a typical embodiment, the indoor unit 110is located within, or in close proximity to, an enclosed space 101. TheHVAC system 102 also includes a variable-speed compressor 112, anassociated condenser coil 114, and a condenser fan 113, which aretypically referred to as an “outdoor unit” 116. In a typical embodiment,the condenser fan 113 may be at least one of a fixed-speed condenserfan, a multi-speed condenser fan, and a variable-speed condenser fan. Invarious embodiments, the outdoor unit 116 is, for example, a rooftopunit or a ground-level unit. The variable-speed compressor 112 and theassociated condenser coil 114 are connected to an associated evaporatorcoil 108 by a refrigerant line 118. In a typical embodiment, thevariable-speed compressor 112 is, for example, a single-stagecompressor, a multi-stage compressor, a single-speed compressor, or avariable-speed compressor. The variable-speed circulation fan 102,sometimes referred to as a blower, is configured to operate at differentcapacities (i.e., variable motor speeds) to circulate air through theHVAC system 100, whereby the circulated air is conditioned and suppliedto the enclosed space 101. For illustrative purposes, onlyvariable-speed circulation fan 102 is disclosed; however, in otherembodiments, fixed speed and multi-speed circulation fans may be used asrequired. Additionally, for illustrative purposes, only variable-speedcompressor 112 is disclosed; however, in other embodiments, fixed speedand multi-stage compressors may be used as required.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the HVAC system 100 includes an HVACcontroller 120 that is configured to control operation of the variouscomponents of the HVAC system 100 such as, for example, thevariable-speed circulation fan 102, the gas heat 104, the electric heat106, the variable-speed compressor 112, and the condenser fan 113. Insome embodiments, the HVAC system 100 can be a zoned system. In suchembodiments, the HVAC system 100 includes a zone controller 122, dampers124, and a plurality of environment sensors 126. In a typicalembodiment, the HVAC controller 120 cooperates with the zone controller122 and the dampers 124 to regulate the environment of the enclosedspace 101.

The HVAC controller 120 may be an integrated controller or a distributedcontroller that directs operation of the HVAC system 100. In a typicalembodiment, the HVAC controller 120 includes an interface to receive,for example, thermostat calls, component health data, temperaturesetpoints, blower control signals, environmental conditions, andoperating mode status for various zones of the HVAC system 1. In atypical embodiment, he HVAC controller 120 also includes a processor anda memory to direct operation of the HVAC system 100 including, forexample, a speed of the variable-speed circulation fan 102.

Still referring to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the plurality ofenvironment sensors 126 are associated with the HVAC controller 120 andalso optionally associated with a user interface 128. In someembodiments, the user interface 128 provides additional functions suchas, for example, operational, diagnostic, status message display, and avisual interface that allows at least one of an installer, a user, asupport entity, and a service provider to perform actions with respectto the HVAC system 100. In some embodiments, the user interface 128 is,for example, a thermostat of the HVAC system 100. In other embodiments,the user interface 128 is associated with at least one sensor of theplurality of environment sensors 126 to determine the environmentalcondition information and communicate that information to the user. Theuser interface 128 may also include a display, buttons, a microphone, aspeaker, or other components to communicate with the user. Additionally,the user interface 128 may include a processor and memory that isconfigured to receive user-determined parameters, and calculateoperational parameters of the HVAC system 100 as disclosed herein.

In a typical embodiment, the HVAC system 100 is configured tocommunicate with a plurality of devices such as, for example, amonitoring device 130, a communication device 132, and the like. In atypical embodiment, the monitoring device 130 is not part of the HVACsystem. For example, the monitoring device 130 is a server or computerof a third party such as, for example, a manufacturer, a support entity,a service provider, and the like. In other embodiments, the monitoringdevice 130 is located at an office of, for example, the manufacturer,the support entity, the service provider, and the like.

In a typical embodiment, the communication device 132 is a non-HVACdevice having a primary function that is not associated with HVACsystems. For example, non-HVAC devices include mobile-computing devicesthat are configured to interact with the HVAC system 100 to monitor andmodify at least some of the operating parameters of the HVAC system 100.Mobile computing devices may be, for example, a personal computer (e.g.,desktop or laptop), a tablet computer, a mobile device (e.g., smartphone), and the like. In a typical embodiment, the communication device132 includes at least one processor, memory and a user interface, suchas a display. One skilled in the art will also understand that thecommunication device 132 disclosed herein includes other components thatare typically included in such devices including, for example, a powersupply, a communications interface, and the like.

The zone controller 122 is configured to manage movement of conditionedair to designated zones of the enclosed space. Each of the designatedzones include at least one conditioning or demand unit such as, forexample, the gas heat 104 and at least one user interface 128 such as,for example, the thermostat. The zone-controlled HVAC system 100 allowsthe user to independently control the temperature in the designatedzones. In a typical embodiment, the zone controller 122 operateselectronic dampers 124 to control air flow to the zones of the enclosedspace.

In some embodiments, a data bus 134, which in the illustrated embodimentis a serial bus, couples various components of the HVAC system 100together such that data is communicated therebetween. In a typicalembodiment, the data bus 134 may include, for example, any combinationof hardware, software embedded in a computer readable medium, or encodedlogic incorporated in hardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware) tocouple components of the HVAC system 100 to each other. As an exampleand not by way of limitation, the data bus 134 may include anAccelerated Graphics Port (AGP) or other graphics bus, a Controller AreaNetwork (CAN) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a HYPERTRANSPORT (HT)interconnect, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, amemory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a serialadvanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics StandardsAssociation local (VLB) bus, or any other suitable bus or a combinationof two or more of these. In various embodiments, the data bus 134 mayinclude any number, type, or configuration of data buses 134, whereappropriate. In particular embodiments, one or more data buses 134(which may each include an address bus and a data bus) may couple theHVAC controller 120 to other components of the HVAC system 100. In otherembodiments, connections between various components of the HVAC system100 are wired. For example, conventional cable and contacts may be usedto couple the HVAC controller 120 to the various components. In someembodiments, a wireless connection is employed to provide at least someof the connections between components of the HVAC system such as, forexample, a connection between the HVAC controller 120 and thevariable-speed circulation fan 102 or the plurality of environmentsensors 126.

Typically, in HVAC systems, most sound or noise is generated viarotating equipment and air and fluid movement through ducts and pipes.This movement results in vibration of the various components of the HVACsystem 100. Controlling the vibration of the various components of theHVAC system 100 is important since vibration is the primary source ofnoise in HVAC systems. HVAC systems that neglect to properly addressvibration may result in malfunctioning components, noise, and, in somecases, catastrophic failure. In an effort to monitor vibration of HVACsystem components and prevent component malfunction, exemplaryembodiments disclose placing accelerometers at various components of theHVAC system 100. In the context of the present application, anaccelerometer is defined as a device that detects, monitors, andmeasures vibration in machinery.

The HVAC system 100 includes a plurality of accelerometers 127 a, 127 bthat are positioned on various components of the HVAC system 100. Inparticular, a first accelerometer 127(a) is positioned on thevariable-speed circulation fan 102 and a second accelerometer 127(b) ispositioned on the variable-speed compressor 112. For illustrativepurposes, only two accelerometers 127(a), 127(b) are disclosed as beingpositioned on the variable-speed circulation fan 102 and thevariable-speed compressor 112, respectively; however, in alternativeembodiments, additional accelerometers may be positioned on othercomponents as dictated by design requirements. In a typical embodiment,the first and second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b) are configured tomonitor HVAC system component health by measuring vibration of the HVACsystem components such as, for example, the variable-speed circulationfan 102, the variable-speed compressor 112, and the condenser fan 113 ofthe HVAC controller 120. The measured vibration (“vibration data”) ofthe variable-speed circulation fan 102, the variable-speed compressor112, and the condenser fan 113 is utilized by the HVAC controller 120 tomonitor operation of HVAC system components and detect faults before theHVAC system components fail.

In a typical embodiment, the first and second accelerometers 127(a),127(b) are configured to communicate with the HVAC controller 120. Inparticular, the first and second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b) areconfigured to communicate vibration data of the HVAC system componentssuch as, for example, the variable-speed circulation fan 102 and thevariable-speed compressor 112 to the HVAC controller 120. In someembodiments, the data bus 134 may couple the HVAC controller 120 to thefirst and second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b), in other embodiments,connections between the HVAC controller 120 and the first and secondaccelerometers 127(a), 127(b) are wired. For example, conventional cableand contacts may be used to couple the HVAC controller 120 to the firstand second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b). In some embodiments, awireless connection is employed to provide at least some of theconnections between the HVAC controller 120 and the first and secondaccelerometers 127(a), 127(b).

In a typical embodiment, the first accelerometer 127(a) is positioned onthe variable-speed circulation fan 102 and is configured to measurevibration of the variable-speed circulation fan 102 over time. Forexample, the first accelerometer 127(a) is configured to measurevibration of the variable-speed circulation fan 102 at various timessuch as, for example, startup, during steady-state operation, and shutdown. Vibration data corresponding to the variable-speed circulation fan102 is forwarded to the HVAC controller 120. The HVAC controller 120utilizes the vibration data to calculate and store acceptablebaseline-vibration data for the variable-speed circulation fan 102. Inalternate embodiments, the acceptable baseline-vibration data for thevariable-speed circulation fan 102 may be set in advance by themanufacturer. The acceptable baseline-vibration data is typically usedby the service provider to monitor operation of the variable-speedcirculation fan 102 and detect faults before the variable-speedcirculation fan 102 fails.

In similar fashion, the second accelerometer 127(b) is configured tomeasure vibration of the variable-speed compressor 112 at various timessuch as, for example, startup, steady-state operation, and shut down ofthe variable-speed compressor 112. Vibration data corresponding to thevariable-speed compressor 112 is forwarded to the HVAC controller 120.The HVAC controller 120 utilizes the vibration data to calculate andstore acceptable baseline-vibration data for the variable-speedcompressor 112. In alternate embodiments, the acceptablebaseline-vibration data for the variable-speed compressor 112 may be setin advance by the manufacturer.

In a typical embodiment, during operation of the HVAC system 100, thefirst accelerometer 127(a) measures actual vibration of thevariable-speed circulation fan 102. The measured actual vibration(“actual vibration data”) of the variable-speed circulation fan 102 isforwarded to the HVAC controller 120. The HVAC controller 120 comparesthe actual vibration data with the stored acceptable baseline-vibrationdata for the variable-speed circulation fan 102 to determine whetherthere has been changes in operation of the variable-speed circulationfan 102. For example, a change in an amplitude of vibration at a certainfrequency or an occurrence of a new frequency would indicate a problemwith the variable-speed circulation fan 102. The problem may be, forexample, an imbalanced blower wheel, a loose mounting bolt, thevariable-speed circulation fan not running, and the like. Thisinformation is forwarded by the HVAC controller 120 to the monitoringdevice 130 to monitor operation of the variable-speed circulation fan102 and determine whether the variable-speed circulation fan 102 isoperating appropriately or whether a fault exists. In a typicalembodiment, the monitoring device 130 is not part of the HVAC system.For example, the monitoring device 130 is a server or computer of thethird party such as, for example, the manufacturer, the support entity,the service provider, and the like. In other embodiments, the monitoringdevice 130 is located at an office of, for example, the manufacturer,the support entity, the service provider, and the like.

In similar fashion, the HVAC controller 120 is configured to receiveactual vibration data. of the variable-speed compressor 112 from thesecond accelerometer 127(b). The HVAC controller 120 compares the actualvibration data with the stored acceptable baseline-vibration data forthe variable-speed compressor 112 to determine whether there has beenchanges in operation of the variable-speed compressor 112. For example,a change in an amplitude of vibration at a certain frequency or anoccurrence of a new frequency would indicate a problem with thecompressor 112. This information is forwarded by the HVAC controller 120to the monitoring device 130 to monitor operation of the variable-speedcompressor 112 and determine whether the variable-speed compressor 112is operating appropriately or whether a fault exists.

FIG. 2A is a chart illustrating actual vibration data 204 and acceptablebaseline vibration data 206 for the variable-speed compressor 112 of theHVAC system 100. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 2A will be describedherein relative to FIG. 1. As discussed above, the HVAC controller 120is configured to receive actual vibration data of the variable-speedcompressor 112 from the second accelerometer 127(b). The HVAC controller120 compares the actual vibration data 204 with the stored acceptablebaseline vibration data 206 for the variable-speed compressor 112 todetermine whether there have been changes in operation of thevariable-speed compressor 112. For example, a change in an amplitude ofvibration at a certain frequency or a missing peak at a certainfrequency could indicate a problem with the variable-speed condenser fan113. FIG. 2A illustrates a missing peak at a frequency of approximately25 Hz in the actual vibration data 204 in comparison to the acceptablebaseline vibration data 206. The missing peak in the actual vibrationdata 204 indicates that the variable-speed condenser fan 113 is notoperating properly.

FIG. 2B is a chart illustrating actual vibration data 208 and acceptablebaseline vibration data 210 for the indoor unit 110 of the HVAC system100. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 2B will be described hereinrelative to FIG. 1. As discussed above, the HVAC controller 120 isconfigured to receive actual vibration data of the indoor unit 110 fromthe first accelerometer 127(a). The HVAC controller 120 compares theactual vibration data 208 with the stored acceptable baseline vibrationdata 210 for the indoor unit 110 to determine whether there have beenchanges in operation of the indoor unit 110. For example, a change in anamplitude of vibration at a certain frequency or an amplitude spike at acertain frequency could indicate a problem with the variable-speedcirculation fan 102. FIG. 2B illustrates an amplitude spike at afrequency of approximately 25 Hz in the actual vibration data 208relative to the acceptable baseline vibration data 210. The amplitudespike in the actual vibration data 208 indicates that the variable-speedcirculation fan 102 is not operating properly.

In some embodiments, the vibration data received by the HVAC controller120 from the first and second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b) is utilizedto determine whether the HVAC system components are operating properly.For example, the variable-speed circulation fan 102 operating at a givencubic feet per minute (CFM)/revolutions per minute (RPM) will have anexplicit vibration pattern. If the variable-speed circulation fan 102operates at a CFM/RPM outside an acceptable range, the vibration patternwill be different than the explicit vibration pattern. In otherembodiments, the vibration data received by the HVAC controller 120 fromthe first and second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b) is utilized todetermine whether the HVAC system components are operating at all. Forexample, during a call for cooling/heating, the HVAC controller 120determines from the vibration data whether there has been an increase inthe vibration level. Such increase would indicate that operation of thevariable-speed circulation fan 102 has been initiated.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an illustrative process 300 tomonitor HVAC system component health. For illustrative purposes, theprocess 300 will be described herein relative to FIG. 1. The process 300begins at step 302. At step 304, the first accelerometer 127(a), whichis positioned on the variable-speed circulation fan 102, measuresvibration of the variable-speed circulation fan 102 over time. Forexample, the first accelerometer 127(a) may be configured to measurevibration of the variable-speed circulation fan 102 at various timessuch as, for example, during system installation, during startup,steady-state operation, and shut down. In similar fashion, the secondaccelerometer 127(b) may measure vibration of the variable-speedcompressor 112 at various times such as, for example, during systeminstallation, during startup, steady-state operation, and shut down.Vibration data from the measurements by the first accelerometer 127(a)and the second accelerometer 127(b) is forwarded to the HVAC controller120. At step 306, the HVAC controller 120 utilizes the vibration data tocalculate and store acceptable baseline vibration data for thevariable-speed circulation fan 102 and the variable-speed compressor112. In alternate embodiments, the acceptable baseline-vibration datafor the variable-speed circulation fan 102 and the variable-speedcompressor 112 may be set in advance by the manufacturer.

At step 308, the HVAC controller 120 receives actual vibration data ofthe variable-speed circulation fan 102 and variable-speed compressor 112from the first and second accelerometers 127(a), 127(b), respectively.From step 308, the process 300 proceeds to step 310. At step 310, it isdetermined whether the actual vibration data differs from pre-definedacceptable baseline vibration data by more than an acceptable amount. Inparticular, it is determined whether there have been changes inamplitude of vibration at certain frequencies or whether there has beenan occurrence of vibration at a new frequency above a pre-definedthreshold. In response to a positive determination, the process 300proceeds to step 312. However, if it is determined at step 310 that noamplitude change or new frequency above the pre-defined threshold hasbeen detected, the process 300 returns to step 308. At step 312, achange in the amplitude of vibration at a certain frequency or theoccurrence of a new frequency above the pre-defined threshold indicatesa problem with at least one of the variable-speed circulation fan 102and the variable-speed compressor 112. The problem may be, for example,an imbalanced blower wheel, a loose mounting bolt, the variable-speedcirculation fan 102 not running, and the like. At step 314, theinformation regarding the suspected problem is forwarded by the HVACcontroller 120 to the monitoring device 130 to monitor operation of atleast one of the variable-speed circulation fan 102 and thevariable-speed compressor 112 and determine whether at least one of thevariable-speed circulation fan 102 and the variable-speed compressor 112is operating appropriately or whether a fault exists. At step 316, theprocess 300 ends.

For purposes of this patent application, the term computer-readablestorage medium encompasses one or more tangible computer-readablestorage media possessing structures. As an example and not by way oflimitation, a computer-readable storage medium may include asemiconductor-based or other integrated circuit (IC) (such as, forexample, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or anapplication-specific IC (ASIC)), a hard disk, an HDD, a hybrid harddrive (HHD), an optical disc, an optical disc drive (ODD), amagneto-optical disc, a magneto-optical drive, a floppy disk, a floppydisk drive (FDD), magnetic tape, a holographic storage medium, asolid-state drive (SSD), a RAM-drive, a SECURE DIGITAL card, a SECUREDIGITAL drive, a flash memory card, a flash memory drive, or any othersuitable tangible computer-readable storage medium or a combination oftwo or more of these, where appropriate.

Particular embodiments may include one or more computer-readable storagemedia implementing any suitable storage. In particular embodiments, acomputer-readable storage medium implements one or more portions of theprocessor, one or more portions of the system memory, or a combinationof these, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, acomputer-readable storage medium implements RAM or ROM. In particularembodiments, a computer-readable storage medium implements volatile orpersistent memory. In particular embodiments, one or morecomputer-readable storage media embody encoded software.

In this patent application, reference to encoded software may encompassone or more applications, bytecode, one or more computer programs, oneor more executables, one or more instructions, logic, machine code, oneor more scripts, or source code, and vice versa, where appropriate, thathave been stored or encoded in a computer-readable storage medium. Inparticular embodiments, encoded software includes one or moreapplication programming interfaces (APIs) stored or encoded in acomputer-readable storage medium. Particular embodiments may use anysuitable encoded software written or otherwise expressed in any suitableprogramming language or combination of programming languages stored orencoded in any suitable type or number of computer-readable storagemedia. In particular embodiments, encoded software may be expressed assource code or object code. In particular embodiments, encoded softwareis expressed in a higher-level programming language, such as, forexample, C, Python, Java, or a suitable extension thereof. In particularembodiments, encoded software is expressed in a lower-level programminglanguage, such as assembly language (or machine code). In particularembodiments, encoded software is expressed in JAVA. In particularembodiments, encoded software is expressed in Hyper Text Markup Language(HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), or other suitable markuplanguage.

Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of anyof the algorithms described herein can be performed in a differentsequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not alldescribed acts or events are necessary for the practice of thealgorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can beperformed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing,interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or onother parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. Although certaincomputer-implemented tasks are described as being performed by aparticular entity, other embodiments are possible in which these tasksare performed by a different entity.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,”“may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments donot include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, suchconditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,elements and/or states are in any way required for one or moreembodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logicfor deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether thesefeatures, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed inany particular embodiment.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in theform and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will berecognized, the processes described herein can be embodied within a formthat does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein,as some features can be used or practiced separately from others. Thescope of protection is defined by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description. All changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of monitoring component health of aheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the methodcomprising: measuring, by an accelerometer associated with at least onecomponent of the HVAC system, vibration of the at least one component;receiving, by a controller, actual vibration data reflective of themeasured vibration; determining, using the controller, whether a newfrequency is detected between the actual vibration data and pre-definedacceptable baseline vibration data; responsive to a positivedetermination, forwarding, by the controller, information regarding thedetermination to a monitoring device; and the new frequency indicatesthat the at least one component is not operating properly.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises at least one ofa circulation fan, a compressor, a condenser coil, a condenser fan, andan evaporator coil.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the monitoringdevice is a computer of a third party; and the third party comprises atleast one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and a service provider.4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined acceptable baselinevibration data is set in advance by a manufacturer.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the pre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data iscalculated by the controller.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is configured to communicate with the accelerometerwirelessly.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: responsive to anegative determination in the determining step, returning to thereceiving step.
 8. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)system comprising: an accelerometer associated with at least onecomponent of the HVAC system, wherein the accelerometer is configured tomeasure vibration of the at least one component; a controller configuredto communicate with the accelerometer; wherein the controller isconfigured to: receive actual vibration data reflective of the measuredvibration; determine whether an amplitude change is detected at acertain frequency between the actual vibration data and pre-definedacceptable baseline vibration data; responsive to a positivedetermination, forward information regarding the determination to amonitoring device; and the amplitude change indicates that the at leastone component is not operating properly.
 9. The HVAC system of claim 8,wherein the at least one component comprises at least one of acirculation fan, compressor, a condenser coil, a condenser fan, and anevaporator coil.
 10. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein: the monitoringdevice is a computer of a third party; and the third party comprises atleast one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and a service provider.11. The HVAC system of claim 8, wherein the pre-defined acceptablebaseline vibration data is set in advance by a manufacturer.
 12. TheHVAC system of claim 8, wherein the pre-defined acceptable baselinevibration data is calculated by the controller.
 13. A method ofmonitoring component health of a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising: measuring, by anaccelerometer associated with at least one component of the HVAC system,of vibration of the at least one component; receiving, by a controller,actual vibration data reflective of the measured vibration; calculating,using the controller, pre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data;determining, using the controller, whether at least one of a newfrequency and an amplitude change is detected at a certain frequencybetween the actual vibration data and the pre-defined acceptablebaseline vibration data; and responsive to a positive determination,forwarding, by the controller, information regarding the determinationto a monitoring device to monitor operation of the component.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, wherein: the positive determination comprisesdetecting the amplitude change at a certain frequency between the actualvibration data and the pre-defined acceptable baseline vibration data;and the amplitude change indicates that the at least one component isnot operating properly.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein: thepositive determination comprises detecting the new frequency between theactual vibration data and the pre-defined acceptable baseline vibrationdata; and the new frequency indicates that the at least one component isnot operating properly.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at leastone component comprises at least one of a circulation fan, a compressor,a condenser coil, a condenser fan, and an evaporator coil.
 17. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the monitoring device is a computer of athird party.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third partycomprises at least one of a manufacturer, a support entity, and aservice provider.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the controller isconfigured to communicate with the accelerometer wirelessly.
 20. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to communicatewith the accelerometer using a cable connection.